Daydreamer
by thathazylove
Summary: When Jacob accidentally attacks an amnesiac girl, he discovers there's more mystery to the world he lives in than he originally believed. Post-Breaking Dawn. Alternate Universe.
1. too dark to see

disclaimer: I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's work, charactors, or plot. I only use them to create a work of fiction of my own. This story is set 4 years, 5 months, and 11 days after the last page of Breaking Dawn – I know, so specific, but just in case you were curious. Jacob Black did not imprint on Renesmee, but still stood alongside the Cullens against Sam's pack and the Volturi. As you can see, it's a bit alternate universe, but that is all I'm inclined to tell you. The rest you'll have to figure out on your own. Enjoy!

* * *

 _knockin' on Heaven's door_

by antony & the johnsons

* * *

・ _EVELYN_ _・_

A deep howl resonated throughout the darkness I was shrouded in, causing my eyes to open and my body to shoot up from its horizontal position. The ground was damp, its mud dirtying the thin, pale dress I wore. Dark trees surrounded me, the moon casting odd shadows through their thick foliage. They played tricks on my mind, encouraging it to imagine something sinister lurking in the distance.

Chilling fear spread through me, further numbing my cold body as I realised I had no clue to where I was. Or who I was. Or why I couldn't remember anything. My memory was as dark as the forest I was stranded in. There was no recollection of a childhood, of a family or friends. I didn't even know what I looked like. I was a stranger to myself; a nobody. I pushed back tears as I forced myself onto my bare feet. I felt like a small child lost in a crowded park without her parents. Did I even have parents? I was lost and alone. The darkness scared me and all I wanted was another person. Anyone to tell me who I was. Instead, the darkness pushed my mind into overdrive as it tried to grasp for a single memory.

 _Who am I? Why can't I remember anything? Think, Evelyn, think!_

 _Evelyn?_

I focused on the name. _Is that my name?_ It had to be. It was the only thing I could remember. And it seemed to fit my tanned skin and long, dark hair. Shapely curves filled my flowy dress, which did nothing to aid against the biting wind. I rubbed my bare shoulders as I forced confidence into my bloodstream. Evelyn was a strong and capable name. With newfound determination, I started to march through the forest. I didn't care that my feet were bare I needed to get the hell out of here before that wolf came for me. _Don't they travel in packs? Stop thinking about it! Just find your way out, Evelyn._

"My name is Evelyn. My name is Evelyn. My name is Evelyn," I found myself chanting my name. It was the only thing I could hold on to from my past. I didn't want it to disappear, too.

For hours, it seemed, I trudged through the cold forest. Every tree looked the same in the darkness and the sounds of the night only made fear clutch my heart tighter. A stinging pain chipped away at the centre of my head and the textured debris cut at the soles of my feet. But I didn't stop. If anything, the pain and the fear pushed me to a quicker pace.

I swept a tangle of my dark hair out of my face for the umpteenth time when a flash of light entered my peripheral vision. My head snapped to the left and I squinted to see that it was an electric light glowing in the distance. I jogged toward the beacon, uncaring of the branches and roots I had to jump over. The light brightened and I could see that it hung on the outside wall of a wood house. It was a worn, red colour with white-framed windows. Through one of them, a light was turned on. My heart fluttered at the thought of being so close to security.

But I was stopped in my tracks at the sound of another howl. Except it was closer. Much, much closer. My skin crawled and the hairs on my neck rose to attention. I slowly turned my head to see the huge wolf not even 50 yards away from where I stood. In the dim moonlight, I could see that it had a reddish-brown coat and that it was larger than what I expected wolves to be. It had to be the size of a horse. Powerful muscles rippled as it sniffed around carefully; probably looking for me. Its muzzle was pulled back in a snarl and I caught a glance of its razor-sharp fangs. Fear coursed through my veins like an icy poison.

 _Run!_

I sprinted out of the forest and into the clearing the house was in. I could see a truck parked in its driveway, only confirming my thoughts of someone being home. I prayed to the heavens, to whatever I believed in, that the wolf didn't sense me before. I prayed that I could get inside and that I would be offered solace. My heart raced at the thought of the wolf getting to me.

Suddenly, a blinding pain ripped across my back and I fell to the ground with a bloodcurdling scream. The wolf's claws dug across my back, ripping my skin to shreds. It fell on top of me, but continued to snarl at me forcing the oxygen out of my lungs until I couldn't breathe. Tears ran down my face as it assaulted me. I was drowning in pain and the fear of death rose out of my mouth.

"Please!" I screamed. "Help me!"

Almost immediately the wolf's weight lifted off me and I could no longer hear its hostile sounds. A ringing in my ears occupied the silence and my vision was blurred as my mind focused on the pain. It was like I was thrust into the fiercest of fires, its flames piercing through my skin and sinking into my bones. It was hell. Then, my body was turned onto my back and a new pain erupted within me. The cold, wet grass cut into my lacerated skin and I arched my back, trying to alleviate the pain as I screamed. The wolf must've come to finish me off. Good. Then it could take me out of my misery.

I opened my eyes to look into those of my assailant, only to see a large man kneeling above me, his dark features illuminated by the house's light. He had a strong jaw, cropped hair, and a very muscled torso. Under any other circumstances, I would have been disabled by his good looks, but I was in immense pain and he looked troubled.

"Shit," his gruff voice said. "Uh, you're gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay..." He turned to look behind him before yelling, "Sam! She needs help!"

Soon enough, more men surrounded me, all mirror images of the man who found me. They were all tall, dark, and devilishly handsome. Just like the first man, their chests were bare, exposing rippling pectorals and abdomens; even their biceps were huge. Maybe this was Heaven. _Am I dead?_

The tallest of the men stepped forward. "Embry. How bad is it?"

The kneeling man, Embry, cringed and my heart fell. "Sam, it's bad. Her back… it's shredded. And her wrist… We need to get her to the hospital before she loses more blood."

 _Blood_. The thought of blood caused fear to creep back into my system. Involuntarily, my throat started to whimper and more tears fell down my cheeks. "P-Please…"

All of their attention turned back to me and the tallest man, their leader, commanded, "Embry, take Billy's truck to Forks Hospital. Seth, go with him. The Doc likes you best. The rest of you… I need help with Jacob…"

Their voices started going out of focus as if from the end of a long tunnel. A headache formed like a steady throb and it blurred my vision. I could feel Embry shaking me, but I couldn't respond to him. My energy was fading too quickly and all I wanted to do was sleep.

"…awake… out of here…" his voice came in incoherent spurts and then suddenly it felt like I was flying – no, he lifted me from the ground into his arms. "Please stay… Jake… beating himself… don't go."

I opened my eyes enough to see Embry walking me to the truck in the driveway. It was terribly beat-up, in desperate need of a fresh coat of pain, but I was sure it could get the job done. Beside the worn truck sat an older man in a wheelchair. His dark skin contrasted against the white sleep-robes he wore. His long hair was tied back and his face was downturned into a worried expression, aging him. He wrung his wrinkled hands on his lap.

"What happened?" his gravelly voice asked.

Embry stopped in front of the old, Native man. "Jacob lost control. She's hurt real bad. Seth and I are gonna take her to the Forks Hospital; Sam's orders."

The aged man didn't seem to like Embry's words, but nodded in acceptance. "Where's Jacob?"

Embry shifted. "He's still out there… he's in real bad shape. He, uh…" Embry coughed and maybe mumbled something, but I just couldn't focus.

Billy shook his head and started to roll back into the house. He tossed his keys to the other man who came with us, Seth. "It's okay," his eyes said it wasn't okay. "Just be careful, Embry. You too, Seth."

With that Seth opened the passenger door for Embry, who carefully – at least, as carefully as he could – slid me into the truck. With my dwindling energy, I barely made a sound, but my back burned. I was just so tired of all the pain. Hopefully unconsciousness would take it all away. Or maybe I would die…

The men tried to talk to me, but again their voices sounded too far away and the temptation of the darkness was too strong. The soft timbres bled into my dreams, along with the wolf and the terror it wrought. But soon even my dreams surrendered to the darkness and my consciousness slipped away.

* * *

The next time I came to, I was coaxed into the land of the living by a strange beeping noise that matched my heartbeat. The sun shone through a large window to illuminate a plain, small room. My body was stiff and sore, the cast on my arm and the tubes sticking out of me restricting my movements. _How did I end up at the hospital?_ I pushed the edges of my mind, recalling I woke up in an unfamiliar forest with only my name in my head. A freakishly-sized wolf attacked me, and some dark, handsome men saved me. _They must've brought me here._

A grunt sounded to my left and I jerked my head to the sound. A headache thumped at the base of my skull from the quick movement. In an uncomfortable-looking chair slept a stranger in a black police uniform labelled C. Swan. His sheriff's badge gleamed in the fluorescent light as he shifted in his sleep. I wondered how long he'd been sleeping there. There were deep circles under his eyes and his greying hair was in complete disarray.

Though, he wasn't asleep long. His head bobbed in the new position and he jerked himself awake. He rubbed at his sleepy, brown eyes before meeting mine. "Oh," he grumbled. "You're up." He adjusted himself in the chair. "How you feelin'?"

It took me a moment to find my voice, but I finally answered. "I think… I think I'm okay. All things considered…"

He chuckled. "Yeah, no kidding. Well, my name's Charlie. I'm the Chief of Police here at Forks."

"Isn't that silverware?"

Charlie laughed loudly. "Sure is, but it's also a town. In Washington," at my confused stare he added, "in the United States?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what that is." My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to figure out what a washing tonne was. _Maybe it's where they put all the forks?_

His mirth transformed into realisation. "Where are you from? You sound… American."

"I…" why couldn't I think of anything? "I don't know, sir."

Charlie rubbed his moustache. "Can you tell me your name?"

I sighed in relief. _Something I can answer_. "It's Evelyn."

"Just Evelyn?"

"Yes, sir."

Charlie gave me a look and tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Look, Evelyn, I can't help you if you don't tell me. I just… I know this is difficult, being attacked and stuff, but we can get you back home. In order to do that, you need to be honest with me." His warm, brown eyes searched mine. "Can you do that for me?"

I shook my head, looking away from the kind man. "I wish I could tell you, sir. But I… I don't remember anything. Just that I woke up in the woods and all I could remember was my name. I don't know how I go there, who I was before I woke up… it's all I have."

"Okay," Charlie sighed, looking pained. "Do you remember… what happened after that?"

I closed my eyes. _I wish I didn't_. "Y-Yeah. I… I just wanted to find someone who could help me. I ran around the forest and I heard… _wolves_. One wolf- it attacked me." I flinched from the memory and I traced the edges of my cast. "It was a brownish colour and it was… so big. At least the size of a horse. I don't know what happened to it, but there were some men there- I-I think they helped me, but I… that's all I remember."

Charlie was silent as he took in my information. He tugged at his collar awkwardly before clearing his throat. "That's really… ah, that's just odd. I'm sorry, but it is. We're gonna find out what's going on, okay, Evelyn? We've got the best doctor in the state of Washington and he's gonna help you. I'll… uh, I'll go g-get him for you"

He stumbled out the door and I chuckled at the strange man. I liked him and his awkward personality. He didn't have a way with words, but he was still kind. It's the only kindness I can fully remember, besides the men from last night. I can recall the feeling of people being kind to me, but it was… a dark kindness. A kindness with an evil motive. A part of me didn't like Charlie being so kind to me. I felt like he was hiding something from me.

The door opened again, revealing Charlie and another stranger in a white coat; Dr. Cullen, according to his name badge. The first thing I noticed about the doctor was his terribly pale complexion. It was lifeless, in desperate need of a couple hours in the sun. He was very attractive, with perfectly styled blond hair and a bright smile. His features were young; he had to be in his mid-20s.

A gasp escaped me when I saw his eyes. They were the most disarming, molten gold. Somehow, in the depths of my subconscious I knew they were an inhuman colour. A colour that meant something… something supernatural. The headache from earlier intensified as I put the pieces together: pale skin, overly-beautiful features, inhuman eyes. The answer practically blared against the edges of my brain.

 _Vampire_.

* * *

"it's getting dark, much too dark to see

i feel i'm knockin' on Heaven's door"

* * *

dedication: I would like to dedicate this story to you. Yes, you. Whether you're a faithful reader or a random clicker, you decided to open my story and read it. I've had this story in my drafts since January 2016 and it's because of people like you that I decided I was ready to publish it. You're curious and ready for a good story, which I hope I deliver successfully. So read on. Don't be afraid to comment and tell me what you think. This story is for you.


	2. this side of mortality

author's note: I suck at time management, especially when it comes to my writing. So, I decided to reward you with a chapter from our favorite wolf's point of view. Also, for those of you who've read my first chapter before April 9, it's been edited a bit. Just re-read everything after the cut and you'll be caught up. Enjoy! xx thathazylove

* * *

 _soldier on_

by the temper trap

* * *

・ _JACOB_ _・_

No clouds shrouded the sky tonight, allowing the constellations to shine clearly above me. I watched as they twinkled, winking at me from their pedestals. I imagined I floated among them, so far away from my world and all of its pain. I bathed in their light, their warmth comforting me. It was so serene, to float above the world and just be. There were no vampires or werewolves. No good, no evil. Just silence. It was the most silence I've had since… since this whole nightmare began.

A scream pierced my skull and I was suddenly thrust back onto the cold grass. Everything rushed back; the girl, her screams as I tore into her not-so-marble skin, and the realization that I might've killed a human. Someone I was supposed to protect. A scream of my own ripped through my throat to match the unfortunate girl's. I was instantly surrounded by my brothers, it reminded me of the time that newborn shattered half my body. But that pain couldn't compare to the pain I felt now.

"Jacob," Sam knelt down beside me. I flinched from his touch, feeling like a cornered dog in a cage. "Jacob. C'mon, Jake. Snap out of it, man."

I kept staring at the stars. They were more forgiving. "Sam…" a whisper slipped past my lips. "I-I… Sam. I kill… Sam, I _killed_ her."

Sam's name was called and then he was gone. My head followed his movements as he ran to the lump on the ground just feet away from me. Her pale, blue dress glowed in the moonlight and she looked like an angel. If I ignored the blood staining her body.

I pushed myself to my feet, uncaring that because I'd shifted from my wolf-form I was completely naked. She was either dead or on her way to death, it didn't matter at this point. Embry had pushed the girl to her back and she squirmed from the slashes on her back. Her long, dark hair rippled in the grass as she shook her head back and forth. She was losing her sense of the world, but she was still in pain. I could feel it on the edges of my senses.

Besides the effects of her wounds, her skin still glowed with life. A sign I hardly noticed as I hunted her down. She was running towards my dad's house and she smelled… so unmistakably sweet. The girl running to the only family I had left in this town smelled like the creatures I was meant to protect my tribe from. The stench of a vampire clung to her skin like her clothes. Except now, I couldn't deny that her blood was human and her hair smelled a bit like the sea. My nervous, pea-sized wolf brain couldn't see the signs. When will I ever do anything right?

"P-Please…" the girl whispered and my eyes snapped to her face. She was in so much pain, but even with her face scrunched up and bruised, she was beautiful. The mixed light of the sky and the orange, porch light masked the true color of her eyes, but they were so light and clear. They were full of misery, but damn they rivaled the stars.

 _I really fucked up this time_.

I didn't even realize I was falling until someone caught me; Quil, by the sounds of it. He supported me as I watched Embry pick up the girl. A low growl vibrated in my chest and I felt my body force its way out of Quil's grip.

"Jacob," Sam pushed against my chest, hard. "Cut it out. You're just gonna scare her."

I snapped my teeth at him. "He's _touching_ her!"

I pummeled through Sam, only to be stopped by Jared and Paul. "Let me go, you fuckers! Get out of my fucking way! He's _touching_ her! He's fucking hurting her!"

I growled and clawed, but I couldn't fight them all. I needed to take her out of Embry's arms. He was going to hurt her. Couldn't they see she was in pain? She needed me. _I need her_. I screamed into the night, long after Embry and Seth drove off with her. Every nerve in my body burned and I wondered briefly if this is what it felt like to die. To have every cell explode and leave you just begging for it to end.

The memory of my claws ripping into the girl's back clicked in my head over and over again. She smelled too much like a vampire and all I cared about was getting rid of her before she reached my dad. But then I looked into her eyes as she screamed, and I fell apart.

Her blue eyes, for just a moment, filled me with a warmth unlike the heat my werewolf genes gave me. It was like a heat full of comfort and potential, one I'd only experienced through Sam's eyes every time he thought of Emily. For just a second, I reveled in the glory of finding the other piece to my heart. And then the pain of what I'd done registered. And it was like every good thing that had built up in that moment burned away, leaving me with the ashes.

I finally calmed down enough for Sam and Jared to push me into my 86' Rabbit. The drive to the hospital was quiet; I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I felt so empty, like all the emotion in my body was drained. Next thing I knew, we were sat outside a hospital room with Seth and Embry. I came back to life when I heard a steady heartbeat in the room across from me. It was hers. She was okay.

"They almost lost her in surgery a couple hours ago," Seth said softly. "But Carlisle said she's strong and she's going to recover. She's going to be fine, Jake."

I took in a refreshing breath of air, feeling lighter. But still horribly ashamed that I almost killed an innocent girl who was destined to be my soulmate. What a cruel world we live in.

I smelled Charlie before I saw him, the distinct combination of the forest, coffee, and sleep wafting into my nose. I wasn't sure how late or early in the morning it was, but judging from the circles under the sheriff's eyes, it was a time Charlie should be off in la-la land with Sue.

"Is everyone okay?"

With a nod, Seth answered, "Yeah. The girl was out there and Jake… it was an accident, but she's okay." He glanced at me before continuing. "A bunch of stitches, broken wrist, and two bruised ribs. And a concussion, or some kind of head injury thing. She lost a lot of blood, but she pulled through. Carlisle said she is sure to walk away from this with just a couple scars."

Charlie sighed in relief, but I felt like the weight of the world was thrust back on my shoulders. A part of me wished she'd died so she wouldn't have to be in so much pain. The guilt threatened to choke off my air supply. Charlie left to go into the girl's room, probably just to keep an eye on her. I started to pace outside the closed door. My mind raced around tonight's – last night's? – events.

"Why the hell was she out there?" I demanded.

Sam sighed. "I don't know, Jake."

"What could she possibly be doing in the middle of the forest in the _middle_ of the night?"

"I don't know."

"Why did she smell like vamp, Sam?"

"For God's sake, Jacob, I don't fucking know!" Sam snapped, careful to keep his volume down. "Now, cut it out before I take you outside."

I growled, but kept my mouth shut. I couldn't leave her in there. We waited for hours, Seth occasionally making small conversation and Jared making trips to the vending machine. I shifted between pacing or shaking my leg incessantly in the chair. Both positions tried Sam's patience, so I had to switch often. I didn't mind, my thoughts were too preoccupied.

Finally, a couple hours after the sun rose, Charlie left the room and we all stood to meet him. He closed the door behind him and looked down the hallway. "She's awake," he grunted. "I need to find Carlisle."

"I, uh," Seth started, "I think I saw him in his office. You know where that is, right?"

Charlie nodded and almost walked away, but I stopped him. "How… How is she?"

I heard him sigh before turning to me. "She thanks you guys for rescuing her, but…"

The sheriff's silence gave me an awful feeling. "But…"

"She, uh… God… She can't remember anything besides her name." _Holy fuck_. I dropped into the chair. "Says she woke up in the middle of the forest with only her name. And… that she was attacked and brought here. Other than that, she has no memory of anything. Didn't even know what the United States of America was."

I barely registered that he left, the blood pumping in my ears becoming the only thing I could focus on. This girl's life was already fucked up and I managed to fuck it up even more. _Could this day get any worse?_ Charlie returned with Carlisle and I restrained myself as they walked into the girl's room. _I trust him. He's not going to hurt her_.

But it was all shot to hell when a scream erupted from beyond the room's walls. Even though I was furthest, I was the first to the door. I nearly tore the doorknob off as I stormed into the room, scared and angry and confused all at once.

The clean, white room was in complete disarray. Electronical pieces were scattered across the room and I saw their source used to be the monitoring system. The hospital bed was pushed against the wall, trapping the girl in the corner. Her hair was wild, and her eyes darted across the room. She'd managed to rip one of the metal poles on the bed off and pointed it at Charlie and Carlisle in defense. There were so many questions darting around in my mind.

"Vampire! Somebody help me!"

 _How the hell did she find out about that?_ Multiple scenarios of Carlisle revealing his true nature popped into my head, but I forced them out. My protectiveness won over my rage and I walked slowly towards the bed. Her heart beat so fast I was afraid it would jump out of her chest. She held the metal pole for dear life, even with a broken arm. I had to stay calm for her. She was going to hurt herself.

Her eyes locked on mine and my heart stopped for a moment. "Please!" she pleaded. "Help me! He's going to kill me!"

"He's not going to hurt you," I said, trying to mimic the tone Emily and Sue had used on us so many times. "You're okay. You're safe."

She shook her head, fighting against the lull. "No. No! You don't understand. He… He's a-"

"I know," I inched towards her corner and in front of Carlisle, blocking her view of the vamp. "But he's not going to hurt you. Not while I'm here. He's a… He's not a dangerous vampire."

Her bright, blue eyes locked with mine. There was fear, but also a fire that threatened to burn me alive. "How do I know you're not lying? I don't know who you are! He could be mind-controlling you or-or you could be one of them." She swung the bar at me.

I put my hands up, just a few feet from the bed. "Do I look like a bloodsucker to you?"

She eyed me up and down. "He could still be mind-controlling y- Don't come any closer!" She struck my hand with a force that could've broken a smaller man's bones; a bruise was already forming.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry. Here," I took a step back, making sure I was out of reach of that damned pole. "Happy?" This was not the scared girl from last night. "He's not mind-controlling me, okay? I barely even like vampires. But Carlisle… he doesn't drink from humans. Never wants to kill 'em."

"Then what _does_ he drink from?" The pole lowered, but still gripped dangerously.

And Carlisle took this time to defend himself. "I drink from animals."

A growl reverberated from my chest and her bar was back in the air. She glared over my shoulder and I tried not to tear into Dr. Fang behind me.

"I don't drink from humans," he continued. "You know I would kill them if I did. I have no desire to kill and no desire to drink their blood. The smell doesn't even affect me anymore."

"Oh, really?" the girl challenged. Before anyone could do anything, she took the sharp end of her and dragged it against her arm. I reached forward to grab the weapon from her, but I was brutally assaulted by her strength again; this time, across my cheek. "Don't move!"

I rubbed my face, feeling rebuffed and impressed. Carlisle wasn't lying. She's strong. Her eyes became less confident as more time went by. Blood dripped down her hand and Carlisle did nothing. She really underestimated the centuries-old bloodsucker and now he was going to have to patch her up.

She rose an eyebrow and dropped the pole in defeat. "Fine. Now stitch me up."

The girl – Evelyn, I learned – feigned composure as Carlisle gave her a tetanus shot and sewed her back together. But there was still uncertainty and fear in her eyes. And she also forced me to sit next to her, which I considered a small victory in the imprint department. Never mind that she also asked Sam, Embry, Seth, and Jared to also stay nearby. We all small-talked, gradually getting into how she knew Carlisle was a vampire.

She sighed. "I… I don't know. I just had this feeling. I recognized the signs and it just felt familiar. It's really hard to explain."

"And what if you were wrong?" I asked. "We could've thrown you in the loony bin."

She glared at me, but there was no malice. "Well then I'm lucky I was right. I might have like 0.1% of my memory, but I know that vampires aren't supposed to be real."

Seth laughed. "But somehow you knew they were."

The room became quiet and we watched as Carlisle tied off the knot. He gave Evelyn a tight, but still disarming smile. "You're all done. Though, I wanted to apologize again for frightening you. It's not often I encounter someone who… knows of vampires."

Evelyn grimaced. "I'm sorry I threw the monitor at you."

Seth and Jared burst into laughter, even Carlisle couldn't help a chuckle. "We'll call it even."

The guys and I spent the rest of the day getting to know Evelyn better, and to help her resurface some memories. By dinner we'd learned she was very picky – Seth's multiple trips to the cafeteria were evidence enough – she was very good at reading people, and she knew everything there was to know about vampires, including how to kill them. The latter characteristic was the one that scared us the most.

"They're beautiful creatures," she said after Carlisle came to check up on her in the afternoon. "Meant to lure humans with their beauty and gifts. But also built for destruction. I think… I think I knew they had special abilities. Like mind reading, and telekinesis, and… tracking…? They're so powerful," her crystal eyes misted over in a daze. "But they-they can be destroyed… like, they have to be dismembered and burned. But since they're so strong, only creatures of the same species can kill them. I don't think weapons can kill them, probably can't even hurt them. Or maybe there's another thing…"

Sam and I exchanged looks, worried about how much she knew. Whoever informed her of vampires had to have informed her on shapeshifters and werewolves. She had to know. She would come to her own conclusion eventually. For now, I felt safe in her amnesia. Evelyn eventually came back to reality and we finished teaching her how to play Bullshit. It distracted us all from the dark turn of her thoughts.

Evelyn was a puzzle with so many different pieces, I wondered if they'd ever match up. Her smile was bright, and she was very cheeky, rivalling Jared's wit and Seth's optimism. Her poker face was amazing; she made it hard even for our heightened senses to pick up on her lies. And her laugh. It wasn't one of those tinkling giggles most girls had, but a loud, unapologetic laugh that just made you want to laugh, too. She was warm and refreshing.

But then she had an equally dark and cold side. It surfaced when a memory returned or when she wondered about her past. Her eyes turned icy when she recalled something, never describing what she remembered. She would only say things like, "I don't think my parents are alive anymore" or "I was born in the summer" or "I think I lived with vampires." She wouldn't explain how she knew these things and it really pissed me off. How could I help her if she wasn't sharing with me? I was destined to help her, why wasn't she naturally reaching out to me?

Visiting hours were coming to a close and the guys were itching to get back to their ladies. Look at us, a bunch of imprinted losers. If I was being honest, I was only going to leave to hang around the hospital. Of course, I'd never admit that out loud.

"Are you guys coming back tomorrow?" Evelyn asked, her eyes squinting sleepily.

We exchanged glances. Having both alphas away from the pack after last night was dangerous. We took turns shifting and getting updates from the pack, but if anything went wrong, we weren't there to help. Embry and Jared left a couple hours ago to help ease the strain, but this was a very delicate situation.

Sam cleared his throat. "I'll probably stop by for a little bit, but Em needs help with the twins and-"

Evelyn wasn't taking "no" for an answer. "Well you could bring them by! I can persuade the nurse to let them in," she turned to Seth. "Bring Renesmee, too! I need me some feminine influences before I start becoming more savage like you guys."

We laughed together one last time and made our way out of the hospital room, promising tomorrow's return. I lingered as much as socially acceptable, but once it was clear my stay was no longer welcome, I sulked out of the room.

"Hey, Jake?" her voice called out.

Sam gave me a smirk and I couldn't force the giddy smile off my face as I walked back into the room. In the dimmed light from the streetlamps outside, she glowed. She laid relaxed in the bed, but her hands wrung together in nervousness. Her pretty eyes were looking everywhere but at me.

"What's the matter?"

She bit her lip and gave me a kicked-puppy look. "Can you… Is it okay if…" She fiddled with the ends of her hair. "This is so stupid, but can you stay here? Just for tonight. I don't… I just don't want to be alone."

I tried to hide my glee. "What? Scared of the dark?"

I instantly regretted the joke when fear returned to her eyes. "I'm just scared something is going to happen and I… I trust you. I know that's really weird because we barely know each other and, yeah, you saved my life, but I just…I feel… safe with you."

A part of me was joyful that she felt safe with me. She wanted me around her, even if she couldn't explain it. It was a start. But I didn't save her life. I ruined it. I tore her apart and caused her so much pain. She would probably dream tonight of that wolf who nearly took her life. There was no way I could make up for what I did. I had to make sure she was safe at all times.

So, I stayed that night. And the next. And the next.

* * *

"well this side of mortality

is scaring me to death, to death"


End file.
